January 21, 2018 NOTES NOT
EDITED
Spirit Walkers: A Life Worth Living
Spirit Walkers: A Life Worth Living
Galatians 1:10-24
Last week we learned from Paul’s
introduction that there exists two possible “gospels”—one not being a gospel at
all. The false gospel is a gospel that adds works of
righteousness to the gospel of grace through Jesus Christ.
Paul established in the introduction, particularly verse 1, that the source of the gospel and the legitimacy of his apostleship, came from God, “not the agency of man.” (Gal. 1:1).
In the following section, Paul expands upon his life, especially the transformation that took place when he met Jesus Christ, the Lord. Paul’s resulting life after being “freed from the Law and captured by grace” was a life full of meaning.
It is not hard to understand why our nation struggles to find our path through the chaos of the moment and the nonsense we hear nightly on the news coming out of Washington, when you examine some of the classes offered in our universities.
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, offers a class titled, “Politicizing Beyoncé.” Skidmore College, N.Y., offers an in depth examination of society in a course titled, “The Sociology of Miley Cyrus.” I wonder how any of us expect to make it through if we have not been through the academic challenge of the course in Centre College, Kentucky, titled, “The Art of Walking.” I wonder if perhaps part of our nation’s problems might be related to our approach to education.
There are two courses, but with a little more substance, offered in the halls of the prestigious Ivy League school, Yale, that try to get at the real meaning of life. One course is titled, “Life Worth Living,” and another is titled, “Christ and the Good Life.” I’m sure the liberal scholars at Yale’s Divinity School and I would differ on many details of what constitutes a “Life Worth Living,” but by offering such a class it does at least raise the question, “what constitutes a life worth living.”
Paul answers that question in our text this morning. Lets read it together. GALATIANS 1:10-24
Paul established in the introduction, particularly verse 1, that the source of the gospel and the legitimacy of his apostleship, came from God, “not the agency of man.” (Gal. 1:1).
In the following section, Paul expands upon his life, especially the transformation that took place when he met Jesus Christ, the Lord. Paul’s resulting life after being “freed from the Law and captured by grace” was a life full of meaning.
It is not hard to understand why our nation struggles to find our path through the chaos of the moment and the nonsense we hear nightly on the news coming out of Washington, when you examine some of the classes offered in our universities.
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, offers a class titled, “Politicizing Beyoncé.” Skidmore College, N.Y., offers an in depth examination of society in a course titled, “The Sociology of Miley Cyrus.” I wonder how any of us expect to make it through if we have not been through the academic challenge of the course in Centre College, Kentucky, titled, “The Art of Walking.” I wonder if perhaps part of our nation’s problems might be related to our approach to education.
There are two courses, but with a little more substance, offered in the halls of the prestigious Ivy League school, Yale, that try to get at the real meaning of life. One course is titled, “Life Worth Living,” and another is titled, “Christ and the Good Life.” I’m sure the liberal scholars at Yale’s Divinity School and I would differ on many details of what constitutes a “Life Worth Living,” but by offering such a class it does at least raise the question, “what constitutes a life worth living.”
Paul answers that question in our text this morning. Lets read it together. GALATIANS 1:10-24
A Life Worth Living has at least
three significant characteristics: it is
supernatural, it is a life driven by passion, and it is a life with
meaning. We will examine these as we
work through our text.
1. A LWL is a SUPERNATURAL LIFE
1. A LWL is a SUPERNATURAL LIFE
10 For
am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to
please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave
of Christ.
11 Now
I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not based on
human thought. 12 For I did not receive it from a human
source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation from Jesus Christ.
Paul
returns to a theme he established in verse 1 where Paul established the “authority” of the gospel and his apostleship
by declaring both are SUPERNATURAL in origin.
In verse 1 Paul
declares that he was:
1an
apostle—not
from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who
raised Him from the dead.
As we consider becoming, “Spirit Walkers,” nothing is more fundamental to our study than to realize that “Spirit Walking” is SUPERNATURAL.
We live in a world where naturalistic science, the child of materialistic human secular philosophy, maintains an iron fist grip on the world-view of most people—both Christian and non-Christian alike. No statement in advertising for example is more powerful or more convincing to the public than, “It has been scientifically proven.”
For at least three generations, perhaps a little longer, public education has systematically unseated God from the throne of human discourse and coronated naturalistic science as king. Mind you, education has succeeded in dethroning God in the mind and hearts of American citizens, but God still sits safely and sovereignly on the throne of the universe “ruling in the hearts and affairs of men.” In philosophy, we call this world-view, “materialism, or naturalism.” Such a view generally states that all that is, is what can be tested using the five senses. Materialism, or scientific naturalism (this philosophy wears many labels) reduces everything to only that which can be measured in a lab or scribbled in long equations on a blackboard.
Yet, common sense and common experience tells us that this view is far too narrow an epistemology (study of how we know what we know) to account for all that is. For example: science can, through careful analysis tell us the chemical content of chocolate, but science is incapable of explaining the nature of the feeling of love that my wife has for me when I give her a box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day (This is a subliminal message to all the husbands in our congregation today).
There is much that science cannot explain. For example, most people don’t give much thought to grazing cows, but when a team of scientists went through thousands of Google Earth’s satellite images of cows, they stumbled upon a detail that we have missed for millennia: Cows will stand along the Earth’s magnetic poles—facing north and south—whenever they’re grazing or resting. The pattern remained consistent regardless of wind or other factors, and nobody is quite sure why (Internet).
Now, I would not be surprised if science one day figures out why cows act this way—with enough government grant money, university research groups can find out just about anything about anything.
Science is marvelous. I love science. I’d be a scientist today if God had not captured my heart with His grace and called me to be His spokesman. Science is wonderful, but cannot explain wonder. The world changing Father of Quantum Mechanics, Max Planck once stated, “experiments are the only means of knowledge at our disposal. The rest is poetry, imagination.” This is what I mean when I say, “science is wonderful, but it cannot explain wonder.”
Paul states very clearly that his relationship to God, his calling to preach the gospel, and his relationship to life in general, is a SUPERNATURAL matter. The very essence of life is supernatural, it is “above (super)” what can be known through pure reason according to Paul in verse 11. Paul goes further along this line in verse 12:
12For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation from Jesus Christ.
As we consider becoming, “Spirit Walkers,” nothing is more fundamental to our study than to realize that “Spirit Walking” is SUPERNATURAL.
We live in a world where naturalistic science, the child of materialistic human secular philosophy, maintains an iron fist grip on the world-view of most people—both Christian and non-Christian alike. No statement in advertising for example is more powerful or more convincing to the public than, “It has been scientifically proven.”
For at least three generations, perhaps a little longer, public education has systematically unseated God from the throne of human discourse and coronated naturalistic science as king. Mind you, education has succeeded in dethroning God in the mind and hearts of American citizens, but God still sits safely and sovereignly on the throne of the universe “ruling in the hearts and affairs of men.” In philosophy, we call this world-view, “materialism, or naturalism.” Such a view generally states that all that is, is what can be tested using the five senses. Materialism, or scientific naturalism (this philosophy wears many labels) reduces everything to only that which can be measured in a lab or scribbled in long equations on a blackboard.
Yet, common sense and common experience tells us that this view is far too narrow an epistemology (study of how we know what we know) to account for all that is. For example: science can, through careful analysis tell us the chemical content of chocolate, but science is incapable of explaining the nature of the feeling of love that my wife has for me when I give her a box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day (This is a subliminal message to all the husbands in our congregation today).
There is much that science cannot explain. For example, most people don’t give much thought to grazing cows, but when a team of scientists went through thousands of Google Earth’s satellite images of cows, they stumbled upon a detail that we have missed for millennia: Cows will stand along the Earth’s magnetic poles—facing north and south—whenever they’re grazing or resting. The pattern remained consistent regardless of wind or other factors, and nobody is quite sure why (Internet).
Now, I would not be surprised if science one day figures out why cows act this way—with enough government grant money, university research groups can find out just about anything about anything.
Science is marvelous. I love science. I’d be a scientist today if God had not captured my heart with His grace and called me to be His spokesman. Science is wonderful, but cannot explain wonder. The world changing Father of Quantum Mechanics, Max Planck once stated, “experiments are the only means of knowledge at our disposal. The rest is poetry, imagination.” This is what I mean when I say, “science is wonderful, but it cannot explain wonder.”
Paul states very clearly that his relationship to God, his calling to preach the gospel, and his relationship to life in general, is a SUPERNATURAL matter. The very essence of life is supernatural, it is “above (super)” what can be known through pure reason according to Paul in verse 11. Paul goes further along this line in verse 12:
12For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation from Jesus Christ.
Science,
human reason, can tell us how the heavens go, but reason alone cannot tell us
how to go to heaven—which
is the far weightier matter.
Revelation
and reason are both gifts from God.
Revelation is above (super) reason, but is never Unreasonable. We are made in the image of God, and part of
that image is the ability to “reason.”
Isaiah makes this very clear in regard to the matter of salvation, for
example:
Come, let us discuss this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will be like wool (Isaiah 1:18) [See also 1Pet. 3:15]
Come, let us discuss this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will be like wool (Isaiah 1:18) [See also 1Pet. 3:15]
It
seems better to see both revelation and reason as God-given gifts, with
different operations, but the same purpose—to the understand God’s will for our
lives. Think of reason as similar to the
gift of sight. Through reason we can see
our world, examine our existence and draw conclusions. Think of revelation as the Light that makes
sight possible. Without the Light of God’s
revelation, reason is blind and confused.
The matter might be summed up like this:
faith must be reasonable, and
reason must be faithful. Revelation
is the groom, reason is the bride, and a happy marriage that brings
understanding is the goal.
We would do well to follow St. Augustine’s (and St. Anselm’s) philosophy of Credo Ut Intelligam—I believe in order to understand. The great mathematician and theologian, Blaise Paschal also offers help in regard to the SUPERNATURAL aspect of life when he declared, “Faith has its reasons, that reason cannot understand.”
We would do well to follow St. Augustine’s (and St. Anselm’s) philosophy of Credo Ut Intelligam—I believe in order to understand. The great mathematician and theologian, Blaise Paschal also offers help in regard to the SUPERNATURAL aspect of life when he declared, “Faith has its reasons, that reason cannot understand.”
The
issue of faith and reason and how they relate to one another, or how faith and
science interact has taken up the time and energy of philosophers and
scientists for millennia. I cannot
resolve fully that matter here but to say: “the
only life worth living is a supernatural life.”
A Christianity without the supernatural is a curse, not a blessing
as Paul declared (1Cor. 15:17):
And
if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless;
We see the supernatural fingerprint of God
on every aspect of our world—we see it, through
our reason as informed through God’s revelation. We see the supernatural fingerprint of God on
the gospel as it is validated through various miracles, and finally through the
greatest miracle, the resurrection.
Paul begins his treatise on a “Life Worth Living” by declaring clearly and forcefully, such a life is a SUPERNATURAL life. Spirit Walkers enjoy “Life Worth Living.” Paul continues by showing that a Life Worth Living is a
2. A LWL is a PASSIONATE Life
13For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I persecuted God’s church to an extreme degree and tried to destroy it
Notice the words, “extreme degree.” The word translated “extreme degree” is the same word coming over into English as, “hyperbole,” that is something exaggerated.
Every believer has a “former” life. Unless a person is saved at a very young age,
that “former” life is one very contrary to the life of a Spirit Walker. Certainly, that was true of Paul. The change in Paul’s life upon meeting Jesus
was nothing short of “radical!” And, so
it should be with every believer—in fact, if it is not, I doubt that person is
truly saved.
Paul’s experience in meeting Jesus Christ radically altered his allegiance from a religious allegiance to a Personal allegiance. Paul’s transformation radically altered how he processed information. Paul’s transformation radically altered the pursuits of his life and the ultimate pursuit of his life. Paul’s encounter with the Lord altered the eternal destiny of Paul. The encounter even altered his name, from Saul to Paul. Paul’s transformation upon meeting Jesus Christ and accepting Him as the Lord of Life altered nearly everything about Paul—but it did not diminish the PASSION with which Paul pursued the objectives of his life.
Someon might argue, “but what about when a painfully shy person gets saved and they become a bold, outspoken witness for Christ?” God’s grace did not “alter” that person’s personality, but allowed it to blossom into what God always intended it to be. Grace strengthens us where we are weak, and strengthens us even more where we are strong. Paul’s experience in meeting Christ did not “diminish” his fiery passion, but poured Holy Spirit gasoline on it!
It’s like the Marine’s recruiting slogan said, “Become all that you can be.” Paul became God’s marine.
Look again at verse 14 for further evidence of Paul’s zealous personality:
Paul’s experience in meeting Jesus Christ radically altered his allegiance from a religious allegiance to a Personal allegiance. Paul’s transformation radically altered how he processed information. Paul’s transformation radically altered the pursuits of his life and the ultimate pursuit of his life. Paul’s encounter with the Lord altered the eternal destiny of Paul. The encounter even altered his name, from Saul to Paul. Paul’s transformation upon meeting Jesus Christ and accepting Him as the Lord of Life altered nearly everything about Paul—but it did not diminish the PASSION with which Paul pursued the objectives of his life.
Someon might argue, “but what about when a painfully shy person gets saved and they become a bold, outspoken witness for Christ?” God’s grace did not “alter” that person’s personality, but allowed it to blossom into what God always intended it to be. Grace strengthens us where we are weak, and strengthens us even more where we are strong. Paul’s experience in meeting Christ did not “diminish” his fiery passion, but poured Holy Spirit gasoline on it!
It’s like the Marine’s recruiting slogan said, “Become all that you can be.” Paul became God’s marine.
Look again at verse 14 for further evidence of Paul’s zealous personality:
14 I
advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was
extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.
Notice the forward motion of Paul’s
life. He was always “advancing.” He was
always pushing to do better, to do more, to have a greater influence. Good was never “good enough.” He sought to be the “best of the best.” To use another military metaphor: Paul
was God’s Navy Seal, and not only that, the Squad Leader on Seal Team Six. No quitting. No retreating. Always advancing. The word translated, “advanced” is in the
Imperfect Tense, which denotes continuous action (in the past tense).
The same word for “advancing” used to describe Paul, is used to describe Jesus in Luke 2:52:
The same word for “advancing” used to describe Paul, is used to describe Jesus in Luke 2:52:
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and
stature, and in favor with God and with people.
The only “Life
Worth Living” is a life where one is continually growing, maturing, and advancing
in the knowledge of God and practice of devotion. Most Christians are stuck in the mud of
status quo and have the passion of a hibernating bear.
Paul demonstrates his passion even further by saying, “I was extremely zealous!” (vs. 14). Not just “zealous,” but “extremely” zealous.
The
word, “zealous,” literally means “to boil, rage, or ferment.” It paints the picture of something
about to burst with great energy. It is
passion on steroids, as they say.
It is also a word used to describe God’s personality. In the Greek translation of the O.T. we find the same word used to describe Paul
It is also a word used to describe God’s personality. In the Greek translation of the O.T. we find the same word used to describe Paul
4 Do
not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens
above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. 5 You must
not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous
God. (Ex. 20:4-5)
Recall
that we said that to be zealous, or passionate, meant to “boil or rage.” In English we have the idiom for passion in which
we say, “to burn with passion.” Passion is a powerful force that comes
from the unseen Power of the Holy Spirit operating in a Spirit Walkers
life. Without such a spiritual passion,
or power, life is not worth living.
Passion and power are closely associated, in some ways synonymous. Think the old pressure cookers. I remember when Mom would use her cooker. It would rattle and spout, and a milky foam would seep around the edge while that little weight on top kept just the right pressure so that the whole thing didn’t explode. On more than one occasion old pressure cookers did explode. Steam is power. Passion is like steam. If I say, steam engine, many of you would picture Robert Fulton’s North River Steamboat which carried passengers between New York City and upstream to the state capital Albany, New York in 1807. Or, you might get a picture of an old steam locomotive chugging across the prairie in the Old West spouting a cloud above its stack and blowing it’s steam driven whistle.
Steam is a powerful thing. In fact, a steam locomotive 50 years ago could generate as much horse power as four modern diesel engines today (though there are some super diesels that have a little more horsepower). Steam is powerful. Passion is like steam. Passion itself cannot be seen, but the results of passion are quite visible and often quite spectacular. Many people think of the steam they see coming out of a boiling tea pot. That’s not steam. Steam is that space between the mist and the pot—steam is invisible, just like spiritual passion.
Spirit Walkers are driven forward by a passionate love for God through the Indwelling, Unseen Holy Spirit. It is that “spiritual power,” that zeal for all things Godly, that makes life worth living. I see so little of this passion in the world of American Christianity, today.
Passion and power are closely associated, in some ways synonymous. Think the old pressure cookers. I remember when Mom would use her cooker. It would rattle and spout, and a milky foam would seep around the edge while that little weight on top kept just the right pressure so that the whole thing didn’t explode. On more than one occasion old pressure cookers did explode. Steam is power. Passion is like steam. If I say, steam engine, many of you would picture Robert Fulton’s North River Steamboat which carried passengers between New York City and upstream to the state capital Albany, New York in 1807. Or, you might get a picture of an old steam locomotive chugging across the prairie in the Old West spouting a cloud above its stack and blowing it’s steam driven whistle.
Steam is a powerful thing. In fact, a steam locomotive 50 years ago could generate as much horse power as four modern diesel engines today (though there are some super diesels that have a little more horsepower). Steam is powerful. Passion is like steam. Passion itself cannot be seen, but the results of passion are quite visible and often quite spectacular. Many people think of the steam they see coming out of a boiling tea pot. That’s not steam. Steam is that space between the mist and the pot—steam is invisible, just like spiritual passion.
Spirit Walkers are driven forward by a passionate love for God through the Indwelling, Unseen Holy Spirit. It is that “spiritual power,” that zeal for all things Godly, that makes life worth living. I see so little of this passion in the world of American Christianity, today.
3. A LWL is a MEANINGFUL Life (15,16,24)
Verses 17 through 23 are primarily short autobiography of Paul’s early travels for the purpose of further strengthening his argument that he did not receive the gospel from any human being—it was, as we have seen, a supernatural gospel. For our purpose of exploring the characteristic of a “Live Worth Living” we will examine the verses before (15-16) and the verse after that autobiographical section to glean from them, “the meaning of life, or what makes life, meaningful.”
Verse 15 tells us something very important about the Fore-seeing Providence of God in the life of a Spirit Walker:
15 But when God, who from my birth set me apart and called me by His grace, was pleased
Verses 17 through 23 are primarily short autobiography of Paul’s early travels for the purpose of further strengthening his argument that he did not receive the gospel from any human being—it was, as we have seen, a supernatural gospel. For our purpose of exploring the characteristic of a “Live Worth Living” we will examine the verses before (15-16) and the verse after that autobiographical section to glean from them, “the meaning of life, or what makes life, meaningful.”
Verse 15 tells us something very important about the Fore-seeing Providence of God in the life of a Spirit Walker:
15 But when God, who from my birth set me apart and called me by His grace, was pleased
The grace of God that is completed
in us at the moment of our repentance, existed for us from the moment we were
born. In fact, God’s grace that is revealed at our new
birth was present long before we were ever born. Psalm 139:13 declares,
For it was You who created my inward
parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
We were always destined with a purpose, and it is that purpose that gives life meaning. Paul says that he was “set apart by grace.”
Verse 16 gives us the reason God set Paul apart, 16 to reveal His Son in me, so that I could preach Him among the Gentiles, and then Verse 24 expands that purpose—the same purpsose for all of God’s children--24 And they glorified God because of me.
Herein, we have the key to a “meaningful life.” Paul states it as, “to live a separated life of grace
preaching the gospel to bring honor and glory to God.”
This
brings us to a very important question if we want to be “Spirit
Walkers?” If you add up Paul’s
testimony in verses 15, 16, and 23 three we must ask: “Am I
living a set apart life in such a way that Christ is being revealed in me and
the witness of my life is bringing honor and glory to God?” That’s a “meaningful life.”
Meaning is not measured by rubrics of this world. The measure of meaning is “eternity.” Notice again what Paul said in verse 10.
10 For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ
Meaning is not measured by rubrics of this world. The measure of meaning is “eternity.” Notice again what Paul said in verse 10.
10 For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ
There are many ways to look successful in the eyes of man. The world measures success primarily in dollars and cents. The best proof for this is how we approach a post-secondary (post high school) education. Most students today enter college to “get a job,” not an education. The goal of education, from the classical times of Aristotle and other was to develop character, not bolster a financial portfolio.
I have often said that so many people spend
their entire lives climbing the ladder of success only to come to the end of their
lives and discover the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.
Spirit Walkers live a meaningful life set apart for holy service in order to bring honor and glory to God. Anything else, is a life without meaning. It is, as some philosophers call it, a “life of the absurd.”
Always keep in mind that “nobody gets out of this life alive.” As Paul says in Hebrews, “It is appointed that ALL will die—and after that comes judgment!” (Heb. 9:27).
Spirit Walkers live a meaningful life set apart for holy service in order to bring honor and glory to God. Anything else, is a life without meaning. It is, as some philosophers call it, a “life of the absurd.”
Always keep in mind that “nobody gets out of this life alive.” As Paul says in Hebrews, “It is appointed that ALL will die—and after that comes judgment!” (Heb. 9:27).
Many years ago, more than I want to actually
account for, I learned a little ditty in Sunday School. I’ve carried this little rhyme around with me
all over the world. It sums up
poetically what the Bible teaches in regard to living a “meaningful
life”—a Life Worth Living:
‘Tis one life, will soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.
‘Tis one life, will soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.
Spirit
Walkers live a “Life WORTH Living.” It is a supernatural life, a passionate life,
and a life full of meaning.
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